19 shlokas
अथ तासां वदन्तीनां परुषं दारुणं बहु। राक्षसीनामासौम्यानां रुरोद जनकात्मजा।।5.25.1।।
atha tāsāṃ vadantīnāṃ paruṣṃ dāruṇṃ bahu| rākṣasīnāmāsaumyānāṃ ruroda janakātmajā||5.25.1||
Translation
अथ then, असौम्यानाम् ugly, तासाम् of them, राक्षसीनाम् of the ogresses, परुषम् harsh, दारुणम् terrific, बहु much, वदन्तीनाम् they spoke, जनकात्मजा Janaka's daughter, रुरोद cried.
Meaning
On hearing the many harsh words of dire threat by the ugly ogresses, the daughter of Janaka wept.
एवमुक्ता तु वैदेही राक्षसीभिर्मनस्विनी। उवाच परमत्रस्ता भाष्पग्द्गदया गिरा।।5.25.2।।
evamuktā tu vaidehī rākṣasībhirmanasvinī| uvāca paramatrastā bhāṣpagdgadayā girā||5.25.2||
Translation
राक्षसीभिः by the ogresses, एवम् in that way, उक्ता having spoken, मनस्विनी a noble lady, वैदेही Vaidehi, परमत्रस्ता terribly afraid, भाष्पगद्गदया throat choked, with tears, गिरा with a word, उवाच said.
Meaning
In reply to the ogresses who thus spoke, noble Vaidehi, terribly frightened, said in a voice choked with tears.
न मानुषी राक्षसस्य भार्या भवितुमर्हति। कामं खादत मां सर्वा न करिष्यामि वो वचः।।5.25.3।।
na mānuṣī rākṣasasya bhāryā bhavitumarhati| kāmṃ khādata māṃ sarvā na kariṣyāmi vo vacḥ||5.25.3||
Translation
मानुषी a human, राक्षसस्य demon's, भार्या wife, भवितुम् to become, न अर्हति not fit, सर्वाः all, कामम् freely, माम् me, खादत you can eat, वः your, वचः word, न करिष्यामि I will not follow.
Meaning
'A human ought not to become the wife of a demon. You can eat me up. I will not follow your advice.'
सा राक्षसीमध्यगता सीता सुरसुतोपमा। न शर्म लेभे दुःखार्ता रावणेन च तर्जिता।।5.25.4।।
sā rākṣasīmadhyagatā sītā surasutopamā| na śarma lebhe duḥkhārtā rāvaṇena ca tarjitā||5.25.4||
Translation
राक्षसीमध्यगता surrounded by ogresses, सुरसुतोपमा like the daughter of a divine, रावणेन च by Ravana, तर्जिता threatened, सा सीता that Sita, दुःखार्ता distressed, शर्म solace, न लेभे could not get.
Meaning
Surrounded by the ogresses, distressed Sita, who was like the daughter of a divine, did not get any solace.
वेपते स्माधिकं सीता विशन्ती वाङ्गमात्मनः। वने यूथपरिभ्रष्टा मृगी कोकैरिवार्दिता।।5.25.5।।
vepate smādhikṃ sītā viśantī vāṅgamātmanḥ| vane yūthaparibhraṣṭā mṛgī kokairivārditā||5.25.5||
Translation
वने in the forest, यूथपरिभ्रष्टा strayed from the herd, कोकैः by wolves, अर्दिता tormented, मृगीव like a doe, सीता Sita, आत्मनः herself, अङ्गम् her limbs, विशन्तिः withdrawing herself, अधिकम् excessively, वेपते स्म trembled.
Meaning
'Like a doe that strayed from the herd in the forest and tormented by wolves around, Sita had withdrawn into herself all her limbs through fear, she was trembling excessively.
सा त्वशोकस्य विपुलां शाखामालम्ब्य पुष्पिताम्। चिन्तयामास शोकेन भर्तारं भग्नमानसा।।5.25.6।।
sā tvaśokasya vipulāṃ śākhāmālambya puṣpitām| cintayāmāsa śokena bhartārṃ bhagnamānasā||5.25.6||
Translation
शोकेन with grief, भग्नमानसा with a broken heart, सा she, अशोकस्य Ashoka tree, पुष्पिताम् flowered, विपुलाम् large, शाखाम् branch, आलम्ब्य laying hold on, भर्तारम् of her husband, चिन्तयामास thought.
Meaning
Laying hold on a large blossoming branch of the Ashoka tree, Sita thought of her husband with a broken heart.
सा स्नापयन्ती विपुलौ स्तनौ नेत्रजलस्रवैः। चिन्तयन्ती न शोकस्य तदान्तमधिगच्छति।।5.25.7।।
sā snāpayantī vipulau stanau netrajalasravaiḥ| cintayantī na śokasya tadāntamadhigacchati||5.25.7||
Translation
तदा then, सा she, नेत्रजलस्रवैः with the flow of tears, विपुलौ large, स्तनौ breasts, स्नापयन्ती bathing them, चिन्तयन्ती brooding, शोकस्य of sorrow, अन्तम् end, न अधिगच्छति could not find.
Meaning
Her large breasts bathed with the flow of tears, she continued to brood over her plight and found no end to it.
सा वेपमाना पतिता प्रवाते कदली यथा। राक्षसीनां भयत्रस्ता विवर्णवदनाभवत्।।5.25.8।।
sā vepamānā patitā pravāte kadalī yathā| rākṣasīnāṃ bhayatrastā vivarṇavadanābhavat||5.25.8||
Translation
सा she, प्रवाते to stormy wind, पतिता fallen, कदली यथा like a banana plant, वेपमाना trembling, राक्षसीनां of the ogresses, भयंत्रस्ता frightened, विवर्णवदना palefaced, अभवत् became.
Meaning
Trembling like a banana tree uprooted by the stormy wind, Sita who was seized with fear of the ogresses looked pale and desperate.
तस्याः सा दीर्घविपुला वेपन्त्या सीतया तदा। ददृशे कम्पिनी वेणी व्यालीव परिसर्पती।।5.25.9।।
tasyāḥ sā dīrghavipulā vepantyā sītayā tadā| dadṛśe kampinī veṇī vyālīva parisarpatī||5.25.9||
Translation
वेपन्त्याः of the trembling Sita, तस्याः her, दीर्घविपुला long and luxuriant, कम्पिनी shaking, सा that, सीतया by Sita, वेणी braid, परिसर्पती moving, व्यालीव like a female serpent, ददृशे appeared.
Meaning
The long, luxuriant braid of hair of the trembling Sita waving (in the wind), appeared like a crawling female serpent.
सा निःश्वसन्ती दुःखार्ता शोकोपहतचेतना। आर्ता व्यसृजदश्रूणि मैथिली विललाप च।।5.25.10।।
sā niḥśvasantī duḥkhārtā śokopahatacetanā| ārtā vyasṛjadaśrūṇi maithilī vilalāpa ca||5.25.10||
Translation
दुःखार्ता distressed lady, शोकोपहतचेतना consciousness drowned in tears, आर्ता afflicted, सा she, मैथिली Mythili, निःश्वसन्ती while sighing, अश्रूणि tears, व्यसृजत् shedding, विललाप ह cried.
Meaning
The distressed Mythili, her consciousness drowned in grief, sighing, shed streams of tears.
हा रामेति च दुःखार्ता हा पुनर्लक्ष्मणेति च। हा श्वश्रु मम कौसल्ये हा सुमित्रेति भामिनी।।5.25.11।।
hā rāmeti ca duḥkhārtā hā punarlakṣmaṇeti ca| hā śvaśru mama kausalye hā sumitreti bhāminī||5.25.11||
Translation
भामिनी beautiful lady, दुःखार्ता afflicted, हा रामेति alas, Rama, पुनः again, हा लक्ष्मणेति alas, Lakshmana, मम my, श्वश्रु motherinlaw, हा कौसल्ये alas, Kausalya, हा सुमित्रेति alas, Sumitra.
Meaning
'The bright, beautiful Sita began to wail, alas, "Rama alas, Lakshmana alas, my motherinlaw, Kausalya alas, Sumitra
लोकप्रवादः सत्योऽयं पण्डितैः समुदाहृतः। अकाले दुर्लभो मृत्युः स्त्रिया वा पुरुषस्य वा।।5.25.12।। यदहमेवं क्रूराभी राक्षसीभिरिहार्दिता। जीवामि हीना रामेण मुहूर्तमपि दुःखिता।।5.25.13।।
lokapravādḥ satyo'yṃ paṇḍitaiḥ samudāhṛtḥ| akāle durlabho mṛtyuḥ striyā vā puruṣasya vā||5.25.12|| yadahamevṃ krūrābhī rākṣasībhirihārditā| jīvāmi hīnā rāmeṇa muhūrtamapi duḥkhitā||5.25.13||
Translation
अहम् I, एवम् in this way, क्रूराभिः by cruel, राक्षसीभिः by ogresses, अर्दिता tormented, इह here, रामेण from Rama, हीना separated from, दुःखार्ता afflicted, मुहूर्तमपि even a moment, यदा such being the fact, जीवामि I live, स्त्रिया वा by a woman or, पुरुषस्य वा or for a man, अकाले untimely, मृत्युः death, दुर्लभः is difficult, पण्डितैः by the learned, समुदाहृतः quoted, लोकप्रवादः among people, सत्यः truth.
Meaning
'There is a famous popular saying among the learned that untimely death is not possible either for a woman or a man.It is true that I am living in this miserable condition, deprived of Rama's company and tormented by these cruel ogresses here. Living in such conditions even for a moment is impossible. But nobody dies an untimely death.
एषाल्पपुण्या कृपणा विनशिष्याम्यनाथवत्। समुद्रमध्ये नौः पूर्णा वायुवेगैरिवाहता।।5.25.14।।
eṣālpapuṇyā kṛpaṇā vinaśiṣyāmyanāthavat| samudramadhye nauḥ pūrṇā vāyuvegairivāhatā||5.25.14||
Translation
अल्पपुण्या a lowly women, कृपणा a wretched, एषा here I am, अनाथवत् like an orphan, समुद्रमध्ये in the midst of ocean, वायुवेगैः by the speed of the wind, आहता hit, पूर्णा full, नौः इव like a boat, विनशिष्यामि will be ruined.
Meaning
'I am a woman of low merit, a wretched woman, an orphan. I will be ruined like the loaded boat that gets hit in the midst of the ocean by the stormy wind.
भर्तारं तमपश्यन्ती राक्षसीवशमागता। सीदामि खलु शोकेन कूलं तोयहतं यथा।।5.25.15।।
bhartārṃ tamapaśyantī rākṣasīvaśamāgatā| sīdāmi khalu śokena kūlṃ toyahatṃ yathā||5.25.15||
Translation
भर्तारम् husband, तम् him, अपश्यन्ती not finding, राक्षसीवशम् under control of the ogresses, आगता reached, तोयहतम् eroded by water, तीरं यथा like the bank of a river, शोकेन on account of grief, सीदामि खलु I am collapsing indeed.
Meaning
'Unable to find my husband and seized by these ogresses, I am collapsing on account of grief like a riverbank under the current of water.
तं पद्मदलपत्राक्षं सिंहविक्रान्तगामिनम्। धन्याः पश्यन्ति मे नाथं कृतज्ञं प्रियवादिनम्।।5.25.16।।
tṃ padmadalapatrākṣṃ siṃhavikrāntagāminam| dhanyāḥ paśyanti me nāthṃ kṛtajñṃ priyavādinam||5.25.16||
Translation
पद्मदलपत्राक्षं one who has eyes like lotus petals, सिंहविक्रान्तगामिनम् one who walks majestically like a lion, कृतज्ञम् grateful one, प्रियवादिनम् sweet in his talk, तम् him, मे my, नाथम् lord, धन्याः blessed, पश्यन्ति can see.
Meaning
'Blessed are those who are in touch with my husband with eyes like lotus petals, whose walk is majestic like a lion's, who has a sense of gratitude and is pleasing in words.
सर्वथा तेन हीनाया रामेण विदितात्मना। तीक्ष्णं विषमिवास्वाद्य दुर्लभं मम जीवितम्।।5.25.17।।
sarvathā tena hīnāyā rāmeṇa viditātmanā| tīkṣṇṃ viṣamivāsvādya durlabhṃ mama jīvitam||5.25.17||
Translation
विदितात्मना endowed with selfknowledge, तेन by him, रामेण by Rama, हीनायाः separated, मम my, तीक्ष्णम् deadly, विषम् poison, आस्वाद्येव like one who has drunk, जीवितम् life, सर्वथा by all means, दुर्लभम् impossible.
Meaning
'Separated from Rama endowed with selfknowledge, it is impossible for me to live like one who has drunk venom.
कीदृशं तु महापापं मया जन्मान्तरे कृतम्। यनेदं प्राप्यते दुःखं मया घोरं सुदारुणम्।।5.25.18।।
kīdṛśṃ tu mahāpāpṃ mayā janmāntare kṛtam| yanedṃ prāpyate duḥkhṃ mayā ghorṃ sudāruṇam||5.25.18||
Translation
येन by such a manner, मया by me, घोरम् terrific, सुदारुणम् very cruel, इदम् this, दुःखम् sorrow, प्राप्यते experienced, कीदृशम् what type of, महापापम् great sin, मया by me, जन्मान्तरे in my past life, कृतम् is done.
Meaning
'I do not know what great sin I have committed in my past life for which I experience this terrific, cruel affliction?
जीवितं त्यक्तुमिच्छामि शोकेन महता वृता। राक्षसीभिश्च रक्षन्त्या रामो नासाद्यते मया।।5.25.19।।
jīvitṃ tyaktumicchāmi śokena mahatā vṛtā| rākṣasībhiśca rakṣantyā rāmo nāsādyate mayā||5.25.19||
Translation
महता with great, शोकेन by sorrow, अवृता filled, जीवितम् life, त्यक्तुम् to give up, इच्छामि I long, रामः Rama, मया by me, नासाद्यते reach, राक्षसीभिः by ogresses, सुरक्षिता I am wellguarded.
Meaning
'I long to give up my life, afflicted with great grief, as I, wellguarded by these ogresses, have no hope to reach Rama.
धिगस्तु खलु मानुष्यं धिगस्तु परवश्यताम्। न शक्यं यत्परित्यक्तुमात्मच्छन्देन जीवितम्।।5.25.20।।
dhigastu khalu mānuṣyṃ dhigastu paravaśyatām| na śakyṃ yatparityaktumātmacchandena jīvitam||5.25.20||
Translation
मानुष्यम् human, धिक् अस्तु what a pitiable situation, परवश्यताम् dependance, धिक् अस्तु fie upon, यत् since, आत्मच्छन्देन although I wish, जीवितम् life, परित्यक्तुम् to give up, न शक्यम् खलु not able.
Meaning
'Fie upon this human life. Fie upon this dependence. What a pitiable situation I am placed in. It is not possible for me, a human, to give up life at my free will.' इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये सुन्दरकाण्डे पञ्चविंशस्सर्गः। Thus ends the twentyfifth sarga of Sundarakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.